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IllustrationMagazines

Illustrators #36 (magazine review).

All contents copyright The Book Palace Ltd
(c) The Book Palace 2022
Thomas Fluharty All contents copyright The Book Palace Ltd
(c) The Book Palace 2022

A couple of issues missed the pot. Illustrators # 36 has some really good material. Starting off with Thomas Fluharty (1962- ) with a gift for caricature and who ended up at ‘Mad Magazine’ for a time. Reading Diego Cordoba’s piece on him shows an artist willing to learnt new mediums quickly to adapt to job requirements. Oddly, at the end he works primarily with a Prismacolor 901 Indigo Bleu which is impossible to erase and does some startlingly good work. For those who want to experiment with this, its more a matter of starting light and build up the detail that will allow some flexibility to modify. I’m impressed by his techniques.

Arantza Sestayo All contents copyright The Book Palace Ltd
(c) The Book Palace 2022

I hope you do a similar thing to me that when you’re really impressed by an artist, you look them up on-line to see if there are any dedicated books or, as in this case, any books featuring her art. Nothing. Reading Diego Cordoba’s interview with Spanish artist Arantza Sestayo (1963- ) and found she’s done some illustration for ‘Game Of Thrones’ books and they’ve probably sold out. Incidentally, that work was printed in black and white and, here, some of the samples are in their original colour. She’s also a multi-talent, although preferring oils, she can also use digital but her watercolour subtlety is truly blind-blowing. The fact that she’s as good with and without using models also indicates she adapts to what she needs for the job. Some publisher really needs to release a complete book of her work.

Caran d’Ache All contents copyright The Book Palace Ltd
(c) The Book Palace 2022

The look at the French artist Emmanuel Poiré (1858-1909) who used the name Caran d’Ache (translates as pencil tip and no wonder it was later used for a pencil range) was a satirist. He might also be one of the first graphic novel artists although ‘La Fontaine’s Fables’ was completed and printed after his death. His linework and painting is obviously from the period but he was a good observer of people’s movements.

José Luis Salinas All contents copyright The Book Palace Ltd
(c) The Book Palace 2022

South-American artist José Luis Salinas (1908-1985) did a lot of illustrations and comicwork and showed a love for drawing animals. He also had some finesse with a brush when inking and never used anything else. Self-taught, he found work as soon as he showed his portfolio around, working in Argentina and the USA. Looking at his work here, he knew how to get the best out of a scene.

Lastly, the first part of a look at European western comic strips, no doubt making the point that you didn’t have to be American to draw them.

If you love art then ‘Illustrators’ will introduce you to a lot of artists you might never have encountered before or have but not know their names. Always prepare to have your jaw dropped.

GF Willmetts

September 2022

(pub: The Book Palace, 2021. 98 page illustrated squarebound magazine. Price: £20.00 (UK), $21.99 (US) via Bud Plant. ISBN: 978-1-913548-21-6. ISSN: 2052-6520)

check out website: www.bookpalace.com and www.illustratorsquarterly.com

UncleGeoff

Geoff Willmetts has been editor at SFCrowsnest for some 21 plus years now, showing a versatility and knowledge in not only Science Fiction, but also the sciences and arts, all of which has been displayed here through editorials, reviews, articles and stories. With the latter, he has been running a short story series under the title of ‘Psi-Kicks’ If you want to contribute to SFCrowsnest, read the guidelines and show him what you can do. If it isn’t usable, he spends as much time telling you what the problems is as he would with material he accepts. This is largely how he got called an Uncle, as in Dutch Uncle. He’s not actually Dutch but hails from the west country in the UK.

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